Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1887-10-14
STAINS CONFESSION.
What Leading Citizens of Dexter Say
Concerning 1t.

DEXTER, Oct Is.
The reported story of the confession of an
acc essory to the murder of Treasurer Barron
of the Dexter Savings Bank. in 1878, came
so much as surprise to most of the people
here that they are slow in getting hold of it.
Enquiry Thursday noon among well posted
people, shows that in twelve hours after the
receipt of the papers containing the story, it
was comparatively unknown to those on the
''inside" of the Barron case" which has
made so great sensation in the courts. The
matter is not new as it has been several
months IN developing through a most
careful scrutiny into the details, which, it is
understood, were found to confirm the story
of Stain, whose confession has been pVb.
lished but those who had knowledge of this
confession are few IN number, not extending
beyond the counsel for the estate and few
intimate friends of the widow and executor.
So far as the public are concerned in the
matter of Mr., Bsrron's death, it has been so
much discussed and developed that two par
ties have been formed, each of which hold
firm convictions as to the manner of his un-
timely taking off, and in the first flush of the
news of this alleged confession, the lines Are
seen TO be pretty much the same as before.
Among the "suiciders, as they are termed,
the story is met with scoff and an allegation
that it comes from the deeply rooted belief
that the whole story is concoction. As
Cashier Curtis of the National Bank puts it,
81 don't take q particle of stock in it /; | be-
lieve it is all got up for sensation" Two
others of the same party aluding to it, con-
soled each other with the remark, ''the wrong
party has confessed for this fellow knows
nothing about it anyway. He was not here"
"The story is full of Inconsistencies"
they say. Those who have held faith in the
fact that Treasurer Barron was murdered,
hail it as likely to produce tangible proof
that he was most foully dealt with, both in
his death and since. The officers OF the
savings bank meet the story iu fair and
commendable spirit. President Bradbury
when ms attention was called to the matter,
said it was very evident that the story was
told by someone who knew something about
the structure of the bank and the circum-
stances of Barron's death, but the whole
story has been so much told and retold in
the papers that it was quite possible that it
was manufactured, or was the work of some
crank who wanted notority or expected some
reward, still he was unwilling to discount the
story in advance and authorized the state.
ment that no persons were more anxious to
find some good proof that Barron didn't COM
nit suicide than the officers of the bank. If
would gladly receive it. Mr.. Crosby, who
has been attorney for the bank in the cases
growing out of this matter, also expressed
himself in the same manner and hoped
confirm its truth. He remarked, however,
that it was unnatural that a son should confess
and cause the arrest of his father in the man
ner told and he couldn't really say he be-
lieved much of it.
He also remarked that the story or alleged
confession showed much familiarity with the
circumstances of Treasurer Barron's death.
From quite good authority it is learned that
the man who has confessed was last winter
arrested in Somerset county for some crime
and conf ned in the Jail at Norridgewock, Of
which department Sheriff Mitchell was keep
er. He told Sheriff Mitchell that his father,
who lived in Massachusetts, played him false
and got him in trouble, and he made this
confession. Mitchell first took the trouble
to LOOK up some of the circumstances con-
nected with 1t and found they corroborated
the prisoner. He even went to Massachu-
sets in his exploration of the affair as long
ago as early in the spring. Being satisfied
that it was no cuDard, he communicated with
friends of Barron and the whole matter has
since been quietly investigated, resulting as
above stated.